This invention relates generally to a security barrier and more particularly is concerned with a barrier which may be electrified.
The applicant is aware of a variety of security barriers which provide a mechanical deterrent, as opposed to an electrical deterrent. Examples of the aforementioned category of barriers, or techniques which may be incorporated in such barriers, are shown, inter alia, in the specifications of the following patents:
GB: Nos. 2114180, 921337, 541916, 887643, 978255 and 2023513 PA0 U.S. Pat. Nos.: 3,902,612, 3,263,830, 4,099,617, 4.367,059, 3,070,946, 2,908,484, 4,484,729, 3155,374, 3,972,510 and 4,119,301 PA0 German: No. 1215029 PA0 Austrian: No. 63424
Many of these barriers have been designed for rapid erection, and subsequent recovery, and so lend themselves to being mounted on a vehicle or trailer for transport to a place of use, and easy deployment.
Certain barriers make use of concerting type coils of barbed tape, barbed wire, or other flexible and resilient material which has a deterrent value and which can be compressed for storage, and then extended when required. The coils may be interlaced or interconnected to make the barrier more formidable.
Reference is made, for example, to U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,155,374, 4,484,729, and to the current applicant's, American patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,708.
Electrified barriers on the other hand, are not as easily erected for the electrical conductors used therein must be mounted on insulating supports which, in turn, to the applicants' knowledge, are fixed to, or anchored in, the ground. A second factor to be taken into account is that it is customary to erect a fence or other barrier, spaced from the electrified conductors, so that accidental contact with the conductors is unlikely.